Student Success

STEP is a program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), that began in the summer of 2009. Our student GPAs and retention rates are higher than the university average for both cohorts. We are following the data on the STEP students and the rest of the STEM majors in the college to analyze the impact of STEP and the changing culture of undergraduate research and engagement on our student's success.

STEP Student Testimonials
"When I first entered the STEP program, I was incredibly nervous about the new environment I was going to be placed in. I was scared; I wasn't ready for the independence of living on my own for even a month with people I didn't know. I was very wrong about it and I'm glad I was! Through the STEP program, I met some new friends who I know I will keep in touch with after our time at college ends. So many awesome memories were created that I feel the STEP kids and myself will never forget. Also, getting to meet the professors who I have or will have in the future was a big advantage because it makes it less hard to come to them when I need help in classes. In fact, the professor who I worked under has given me advice about college life and has said she'd be here to advise me whenever I need it. Having a professor do that for you is such a BIG honor and I definitely appreciate it. I know that if I was not in the STEP program over the summer, I would not have had this opportunity to meet such awesome people and become so familiar with AASU and its professors."

•This is a great program and a wonderful opportunity”

•“It’s fascinating and what I want to do for the rest of my life; this reinforced that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – really hard, but fun”

•“Relatively simple, not too difficult, really rewarding, like in real college labs”

•“Most of the time what I did was interesting, the environment was dull but the work was not”

•“Continuous learning experience; a device that I did myself; at first frustrating, but then…frustrating but fascinating”

•“I feel like I was contributing; I was on a really good lead, and [professor] wouldn’t have known that [without my work]”

•“In the biocatalysis group, I was put in charge of purification and crystallization”
•"I really like my job – get to look at organisms, get to do field work; - I love it - super, because no one has ever done it before"

•“I started with articles, then have been researching – found the Chile research group that found same sequence that inhibits cancer; looking at structures”
•"I have enjoyed it a lot, because it has opened my eyes to something in other fields"

See our STEP Video
One of our students, Kate Gaskin, made a great brochure about what STEP meant to her. If you are still not convinced, download her brochure! (Word).

Student Success

Connect

Experience

Apply

Learn